Bat Diets
One of the most dramatic measures of the diversity of bats is the variety of food they consume.Although some 600 species eat insects as the main dietary staple,others live on fruit,nectar and pollen,fish, frogs,birds,small mammals,blood,and even other bats.Most of this diversity occurs in the tropics,although many bats from temperate regions vary their diets by eating a wide range of insects.
What any bat eats is determined by two important factors:the need for enough energy to keep the body going and the need for essential chemicals to maintain it.Just as an automobile requires fuel to move and lubricants to keep the engine running smoothly,animals require protein,carbohydrates,or fat for energy along with vitamins and minerals to stay healthy.Since it is essential for bats to consume enough calories to make flight,reproduction,growth,and other bodily functions possible,it is easy to see why such variety is necessary in their diets.Species that feed mainly on plant products require protein, which can be obtained by eating animals (insects),pollen (which provides only moderate amounts of protein),or large quantities of fruit (a very limited source of protein).Bats feeding on insects appear to obtain a balanced diet from this source of nutrition.
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